Metallurgical Lance with Annular Gas Flow Control

ABSTRACT

A method of controlling total jet pressure from the head of a metallurgical lance for introducing gas into a volume of metal in a vessel. The lance head has at least one ejector, which has a nozzle located in a bore of the lance head and has an annular gas passage between at least one nozzle and the wall of the bore. The method proceeds by adjusting the annular gas velocity from a first Mach number to a second mach number to effect change of the total jet pressure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to metallurgical lances with annular gas flow control.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In steel making, it is known to provide a metallurgical lance above a volume of molten metal in a vessel for the supply of a jet of oxygen thereto. In the early stages of a steel making process, it may be desirable to have a softer blow so as to produce a relatively large contact area to aid in formation of slag. A blow refers to the nature of the oxygen jets in steelmaking or the period of time in which the oxygen is flowing during the conversion process. Once a slag has been formed, applying a harder blow may reduce the jet impact area, provide better jet penetration and better and more complete oxygen reaction with the metal bath. Attempts have been made to effect soft and hard blows, but there is still a need for a more satisfactory arrangement in this respect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the discovery that the performance of a metallurgical lance may be improved to provide satisfactory soft and hard blows by providing an annular gas flow around a main (central) jet of oxygen and varying the annular gas velocity.

The invention provides a metallurgical lance with which soft and hard blows can be more satisfactorily effected.

The invention also provides a method of controlling the total pressure exerted by the jet from the head of a metallurgical lance for introducing gas into a volume of molten metal in a vessel, the lance head having at least one ejector comprising a nozzle located in a bore in the lance head and having an annular gas passage between the nozzle and the wall of the bore, the method including changing the annular gas velocity from a first Mach number to a second Mach number so as to change the total pressure exerted by the jet.

In another embodiment, this invention provides a metallurgical lance head for introducing gas into a volume of metal in a vessel. The head has at least one ejector comprising a nozzle located in a bore of the head and having an annular gas passageway between the ejector and a wall of the bore. The wall curves inwards at an intermediate region before a discharge end of the ejector. The wall near the intermediate region provides a convergent distal end portion of a secondary gas passageway.

In yet another embodiment, this invention provides a metallurgical lance head for introducing gas into a volume of metal in a vessel. The head has at least one ejector comprising a nozzle located in a bore of the head and having an annular gas passageway between the ejector and a wall of the bore. The wall curves inwards at an intermediate region before a discharge end of the ejector. The wall near the intermediate region provides a convergent distal end portion of a secondary gas passageway. Further, the head has a plurality of secondary gas outlets separated from and surrounding a primary gas outlet. The secondary gas outlet is directed at an angle away from the annular gas outlet effective to form a gaseous layer around a gas discharged from the primary gas outlet.

The annular gas flow advantageously protects the convergent-divergent internal profile of the ejector from damage due to exposure to the harsh converter atmosphere. Conventional lances have carefully designed and machined convergent-divergent nozzle profiles for specific oxygen flowrates and supply pressure. The nozzles are designed such that the flow issuing from the convergent-divergent nozzle is expanded to the ambient pressure in the converter proximate to the nozzle exit. A lower volume of gas flowing through the nozzle results in a lower pressure at the nozzle exit, known as an ‘underblown’ condition, and leads to the recirulation of material from the converter atmosphere into the nozzle and exacerbated nozzle wear. The flow of annular gas around the ejector ensures that not only is clean gas passed continuously around the ejector exit, but that any material recirculated into the ejector is also clean. This serves to protect the critical dimensions of the convergent nozzle from damage through normal and underblown conditions and extends nozzle life.

Ejector outlets may constitute primary gas outlets, with the method also including providing a plurality of secondary gas outlets adjacent each primary gas outlet and supplying the shrouding gas also to the secondary gas outlets. The gas supplied to the ejector and the annular passage are independently selected from the group consisting of oxygen, argon, nitrogen or mixtures thereof. The primary gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, argon, nitrogen or mixtures thereof. The secondary gas is a shrouding gas, and is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, argon, nitrogen or mixtures thereof.

In this invention, the annular gas velocity is changed from or to about mach 1, at which velocity the total jet pressure is at a minimum. In one embodiment, the annular gas velocity is changed from about 1 mach at which velocity the total pressure is at a minimum. In another embodiment, the annular gas velocity is changed to about 1 mach at which velocity the total pressure is at a minimum.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a lance head in accordance with one embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a front view of the lance head of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a lance head in accordance with another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a front view of the lance head of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship of the total pressure of a gas jet emitted from the lance head relative to the velocity of the shroud gas.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a head 12 of a metallurgical lance has a central gas chamber 14 which supplies gas to a plurality of spaced and preferably inclined ejectors 16 or nozzles. Each of the ejectors 16 are preferably disposed radially outwardly with respect to horizontal axis “A” of the head 12. Preferably, but only by way of example, there is a plurality of ejectors 16 per head 12, such as four (4) ejectors 16 per head 12, although such number can be varied depending upon the application required. Each ejector 16 comprises a passageway 18 and is mounted in a bore 20 at a tip 22 of the lance head 12. The passageways 18 are of convergent-divergent kind, and which are able to eject oxygen at supersonic velocity. The oxygen is supplied at an elevated pressure to the central gas chamber 14. Each ejector 16 is recessed from the tip 22 within its respective bore 20.

An annular gas passage 24 is provided between each ejector 16 and a wall 25 of the bore 20. The wall 25 of the bore 20 curves inwards at an intermediate region 27 before a discharge end 29 of the ejector 16. The wall 25 at the region 27 in combination with the ejector 16 provides a generally convergent distal end portion 31 of the annular shrouding gas passage 24. Spacers 23 are disposed in the passage 24 to provide support for the ejectors 16 arranged in the bore 20. The spacers 23 are designed to only minimally restrict the gas flow.

Downstream from the distal end of the ejector 16, the wall 25 of the bore 20 no longer converges, but rather retains an approximately constant diameter at right angles to a longitudinal axis B of the bore 20 (which is coaxial with the passageway 18). Shroud gas fed by an annular feed passage 26 surrounds the central gas chamber 14 and is independent therefrom. Annular passages are also provided for cooling fluid, such as an inner cooling passage 28 and an outer cooling passage 30 in communication by a connecting passage 32.

It has been found in the invention that manipulating the velocity of the shroud gas at the convergent distal end portion 31 can affect the force (or total pressure) exerted downstream of the ejectors 16 along an axis of the combined jet exhausted from passage 18. This force or total pressure of the combined jet is important in that it affects jet penetration into the bath of molten metal and is an indicator of jet velocity decay and cross-sectional growth. The total pressure exerted by the jet is that exerted when the gas is brought to rest or stagnation, in which stagnation pressure is defined as the pressure that a fluid exerts when it is motionless.

FIG. 5 shows the effect of shroud Mach number on the total pressure as measured by a stagnation probe positioned 15.5 inches from the distal end of the bore 20 along the axis of the combined jet. As the Mach number of the annular gas flow at portion 31 is increased towards unity (or Mach 1) while the primary jet velocity at passage 18 remains constant at Mach 2.1, there is a rapid drop in the total pressure of the combined jet. This is unexpected because the thrust of the combined annular jet and central jet has increased and a corresponding increase in the total pressure might have been expected. Because there is an actual reduction in jet centre-line stagnation pressure, the combined jet spread at a greater rate. A further increase in Mach number of the annular jet has the effect of increasing the combined jet pressure. Thus, it is possible to control the performance of the jet in terms of total pressure by variation of the shroud Mach number.

A series of experiments were performed using a set of central nozzles and shroud pieces to investigate the effect of shroud mach on jet force. For each combined nozzle configuration the same central nozzle Mach number (2.1) and flow (652 scfm dry air) were used, and shrouds of constant flow (196 scfm dry air) and differing Mach number (0.5-2.1) were used. Thus, for all experiments discussed here a constant mass flow of 844 scfm was used. Furthermore, for each case shown, the ejector tip 16 was aligned to flush with the front face of the lance 22, although the effect is not limited to this case. In addition, a constant nozzle tip thickness was maintained leading to constant initial central jet and shroud separation. Jet performance was determined by measuring the jet total pressure using a stagnation probe mounted on a 3-axis positioning device downstream of the jet so as to facilitate accurate traverses of the probe across the jet cross-section and location of the probe on the jet axis.

As discussed above, the Mach number of the shroud may have a direct effect on the total pressure or force exerted by the jet. As can be seen in FIG. (5), which shows the stagnation probe pressure at 15.5 inches, as the Mach number of the shroud is increased towards unity, a rapid drop in pressure is seen. This is surprising given that the thrust of the combined shroud and central jet has increased. A reduction in jet centerline stagnation pressure leads one to conclude that the combined jet has spread at a greater rate when considering the conservation of mass. Further increases in shroud Mach number have the effect of increasing combined jet pressure as the initial combined jet thrust is further increased. Thus, it is possible to control the performance of the jet in terms of total pressure by varying the shroud Mach number or flow rate.

Thus, in a basic oxygen furnace (BOF) application, it is possible to supply additional flow through the shroud and create a softer blow by causing the Mach number of the shroud gas to rise to near unity from a lower flow rate and Mach number, or supply additional flow through the shroud and create a harder blow by causing the Mach number to rise from near unity at a lower flow rate to a higher Mach number at a higher flow rate. Thus, it is also possible to reduce the flow through the shroud from a high Mach number hard blowing value to a Mach number near unity to create a softer blow. It is also possible increase the flow through the shroud from a low Mach number soft blowing value higher than unity to create a harder blow.

Another embodiment of a lance head according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The same reference numerals will be used to illustrate elements which are the same or similar to corresponding elements in the lance head shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, unless otherwise indicated.

It will be seen that the lance head shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 differs from the lance head shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the lance head shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a plurality of secondary oxygen port passageways 220 in communication with shroud gas passages 26. Each of the passageways 220 is provided with a port 221 at passages 26 and a port 222 at the tip 22 of the head 12. The gas flow at passage 26 is split to introduce into the passage 24 and the passageway 220. The discharge of the gas at the port 222 coacts with the gas jet at the end of the bore 20 downstream from the ejector 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the passageways 220 are arranged in the head 12 such that the ports 222 are in an arch or semi-circular arrangement partially surrounding a respective one of the bores 20 and located between bore 20 and a periphery 226 of the lance head 12. Effectively, the plurality of secondary oxygen port passageway 220 is arranged circumferentially or on a circle that is concentric within the primary oxygen port passageway 18. Each secondary oxygen port 220 is fed from the port 221 communicating with the shroud gas supply passage 26. The angle of the secondary oxygen port passageway 220 diverges from the primary oxygen port passageway 18 (based on the longitudinal axis of each passageway near the distal end of the lance head) in the range of up to about 45°. Preferably, the range is from about 5° to about 25°. More preferably, the range is from about 10° to about 20°. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 can be operated in accordance with the invention in a manner similar to that described in connection with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The ejectors 16 may be demountable as described in co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 10/881,489, filed 30 Jun. 2004.

It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as described herein. It should be understood that embodiments described above are not only in the alternative, but combined. 

1. A method of controlling total jet pressure from a head of a metallurgical lance for introducing gas into a volume of metal in a vessel, the lance head having at least one ejector comprising a nozzle located in a bore of the lance head and having an annular gas passage between the nozzle and a wall of the bore, the method comprising adjusting the annular gas velocity from a first Mach number to a second Mach number to effect change of the total jet pressure.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ejector comprises primary gas outlets and a plurality of secondary gas outlets adjacent each of the primary gas outlets, and supplies shrouding gas to the secondary gas outlets.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the annular gas velocity is changed from a value of about Mach
 1. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the annular gas velocity is changed to a value of about Mach
 1. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, argon, nitrogen and mixtures thereof.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gas supplied to the at least one ejector and the annular gas passage is independently selected from the group consisting of oxygen, argon, nitrogen and mixtures thereof.
 7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, argon, nitrogen and mixtures thereof.
 8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the gas supplied to the at least one ejector, the annular gas passage and the plurality of secondary gas outlets is independently selected from the group consisting of oxygen, argon, nitrogen and mixtures thereof.
 9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the shrouding gas protects critical dimensions of the nozzle from damage. 10-20. (canceled) 